Finding Your Personal Style

 

 

 

 

        Every artist wants to be recognized for their individual style...... their special way of seeing the world and presenting it to others, and that's a wonderful thing for all of us. Think how boring the world would be if we all saw things the same. It's our individuality that makes life interesting, and certainly true of art.

        As a photographer, my vision of the world has been influenced by the people I have met and the exposure I've had to the world of nature. Perhaps my biggest influence has come from my love and deep appreciation for the many talented painters that I've had the privilege of exhibiting with for so many years. These folks bring us not only the world around us, but the world that lives inside of their hearts and minds. They share with all of us, through their work, a world both real and imagined.

        Like photographers, some painters are technically skilled visionaries with amazing talent, while others...... not so much. But, the real talent seems to always rise to the top, as we "feel" something when we look upon their work. It moves us into an emotional response, and it challenges us to look deeper. That's simply what really good art of any kind should do, whether it be a painting, a sculpture, or a photograph.

        As I began my own career in photography, my goal was to photograph birds in what I call a "painterly manner." I have never been interested in just producing  tight little birds shot, perhaps best for some bird ID purpose. Instead, as I look through my lens, I am trying to see a painting. I am looking to frame my subject within his chosen environment in a context that employs the basic elements of fine art composition. I'm looking for patterns, leading lines, color and contrast, spacial order, and a genuine sense of the place.  Each time I place my eye on the viewfinder, I am looking to see a painting, not just a photo.

        That, of course, is just my vision. Yours may be completely different, but no less significant. My point here is that we all want to get better at this photography thing......right? To do that, I believe, every photographer needs to look deep and decide what his or her path will be. Standing out in a crowded field is never an easy task, but it's certainly a worthy goal. My task here today is to ask all of you reading this post to extend your efforts in a way that will bring greater satisfaction to your love of photography. Develop your own style........ stop shooting what others are shooting.... make your photos originals.......test yourself......and don't get hung up on your failures. We have the ability to never stop learning, and we can make our own mark on the world. Your photographs can be a part of that. Be inspired !!!

          I'd like to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share this post with others.

 



 

 

Taking Control of the Viewer's Eye

 

 

 

 

        I think of myself as a photographer, and I mean a "real" photographer, as I don't just take pictures, I actually make photographs. Using all of my experience of the forty plus years in the business, I put real work into the process of creating photographic images worthy of my signature. I take genuine pride in my work, and I encourage my colleges to do the same. Real photography, as I define it, requires an artist behind the wheel or at least with his or her finger on the shutter button.

        Fine art photography is the field I have chosen, for one simple reason........ I was born an artist. I was the kid in the back of the class who did poorly on exams, but who excelled at drawing cartoons and making quick sketches of horses and flowers and whatever else my eyes could see. While others played sports and studied their favorite subjects, I spent my time pouring through art books and magazines with lots of pictures. For me, the world was made up of pictures and colors, and my heroes were the photographers and the painters who brought their world for me to see.

        Now at 70, I find  joy in bringing my images to a world much in need of some peace and joy. I hope my bird photos will slow the heartbeats of so many living in this stressful world, and perhaps inspire some of you out there to reexamine the path you may have chosen. Bird photography has given me an opportunity to see so many beautiful places, and to stay in the moment as I take in those special places. It has developed within me the ability to really see what is around me, and to find joy in so much of what nature has put right in front of me.

        In an effort capture quality images, I think about what I, as a photographer, can do to help the viewer see and experience what I have just seen. I want to bring the viewer to my vision, and then let him explore his or her own. In a photographic sense, I want to control his or her eyes to move with me through the image, and to land on what I am trying to convey. This can be done in many ways, but in the photo above I am sharing one technique I frequently employ. Using a long telephoto lens in combination with a wide open aperture, can bring about a very sharp focused subject, while rendering the background blurred. This technique puts the photographer in complete control of where the viewers eye will go. The choice has been made by me.....the photographer. I took the shot, and I have determined how it will be viewed. I have framed the shot with the subject off center, and I have slightly punched the blue in a way that your eye can't resist contact.

        As I said earlier, and as so many before me have said, "You can take a picture, but you make a photograph." Pressing the shutter button should bring pride, and with a little thought.......it will.